In a harrowing incident, a 7-year-old girl from Ohio was heard pleading with her armed father not to harm her during a police standoff. The child, Oaklynn Alexander, was abducted by her non-custodial father, Charles Ryan Alexander, 43, from her grandmother’s residence in Jefferson County, eastern Ohio, on November 11.
The authorities were alerted and an Amber Alert was promptly issued. This led to a police chase as the father attempted to escape with his young daughter, according to the Medina County Sheriff’s Office. The pursuit ended in a parking lot where police managed to deflate Alexander’s tires, leading to a tense standoff.
The 911 audio recording of the incident reveals a chilling conversation between the father and daughter. Alexander, who was armed, can be heard threatening to kill both himself and his daughter, shouting, “I will shoot us both, stand back!” In the background, Oaklynn can be heard pleading with her father, begging him not to follow through with his threats.
The father also made threats towards the girl’s mother, stating, “I wanna talk to her mother. If you’re listening, Ashley, you should’ve called.” The conversation then becomes muffled, before Oaklynn is heard asking her father if they are “both going to heaven.”
The young girl continues to question her father, asking, “I am going to heaven?” Upon realizing the implications of her father’s words, she quickly exclaims, “No!” and pleads, “I don’t want to go to heaven today.” Her father responds, “I didn’t want it to happen either, I just wanted to talk to your mother.”
Throughout the call, 911 dispatchers attempted to deescalate the situation, urging Alexander not to do anything irreversible. One dispatcher told him, “I know you didn’t want to hurt [your daughter] and you didn’t want it to be like this. Let’s not do anything we can’t undo.”
Despite the efforts of the dispatchers, the situation ended tragically when police opened fire, killing Charles Alexander. Oaklynn was safely returned to her family after witnessing the death of her father. A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to support Oaklynn and her family, raising nearly $8,000 as of Sunday.